Well, to be honest.....I like combat for what it is.....I would always suggest things to the head choreographers in all programmes and its upto them to take it or leave it,but the fact is they do listen which is great for the programmes.. Right or wrong.... we should always suggest things and give the appropriate feedback.

Why dont you guys who cant teach the ginga correctly or have issues with timings focus on how you can find the positives out of the move and work on your tech instead of just looking at the negatives?

And yes i did finish the bottle of Bolli,ha!!!

I dont know how a person can hate the ginga and the new moves.  I think it takes the class to a new level that challenges and keeps fresh.  Is it difficult at first? wierd looking at first? awkward?  sure, you bet.  BUT, through coaching, coaching, and excitement for the tracks and the moves, we can get our classes to have such form and intensity to inspire us as well. 

  We have been able to keep people very excited about doing something different.   If, when doing this class the coach does not explain the move and keep it moving slow in the minds of thier class.....  the participents wont stand a chance.  Nobody and I mean NOBODY likes to look like a fool.  take advantage of the short class and walk through the moves before the class.  For so many people, if they dont get it quick, they will stiffen up and get upset and write the song or even the whole class off, right then.  It is the instructors job to not only show incredible enthusiasium for class but an ability to teach at the base level as well.  If there is any hint of frustrations or the 'no fun' attitude coming from the instructor then the class will pick up on it and mirror the feelings.

 The reason this is so hard for so many people is the sam reason that the class is hard for firstimers.  its something they have never done.  Watch a noob try and do something easy like a jab cross combo.  its ugly.  but as they keep coming, it gets better... and better.... and soom you have to turn it up to keep up with them.  Same thing with the ginga and the esk.  its new.  thats it....  IF people keep working on it and doint it.  it will soon be as common as the roundhouse. 

 Finally this gives a needed escape the the same moves we have been seeing forever.  the jump kick.  and recently the knee, knee.....knee, kick.....jump kick combo.  I cant tell you how relieved i was when we had something new to do in track 4.  brilliant.  I am loving the new stuff.  every release gets better and better.  I honestly believe that.  Stay with it.  Practice at home.  A lot.  alot.  you should never go into these tracks struggling with anything or your class doesnt have a chance.  but.......... this is just my opinion.  see you

krafty:

...

knee, knee.....knee, kick.....jump kick combo. 

...

Wow, that was a massive read!.... ok my thoughts......

My biggest issue with 32 is that Rach you seem to be holding back from having fun is all. I love love LOVED the way you were singing etc on 31 DVD you seemed to be so into it and having an awesome time it was completely infectious!!! This time round you're checking yourself every time you want to break into song and it's a damn shame - whoever told you to pipe down, you should have told them to shove it! LOL!!  anyway, doesn't really matter as our participants don't see the DVD but just thought it was worth a mention.  Sing it sweetie and don't hold back from now on, cool?

K, for me Track 4 is awesome, it really puts the E kick / capoiera thing together and makes it seem a heap more natural and easier to both perform and teach I think.  Great song too, i love it.  I especially love the lower, wider ginga. (But i could be a little coloured from witnessing BC33 and the low wide ginga which was funky as! Can't wait etc) I found Rock Me Amadeus to be quite difficult, it didn't seem to flow as well as this one. We're all probably getting a bit more used to it too i guess.  I do stop before this track though and go through the main points. Sorry LMI.  It's press play and go and then pause for a bit before track 4 for me!  ;)

Love the katas, the drama has always been a huge drawcard for me with combat, as well as the music.  Love the old headbanging tracks which take me back to my younger years but also the new stuff is great too.  Track 7 goes off, building to insane, love it.  I've never been a massive fan of Track 2's for some reason.....I do like the switch knee though..... Track 8 is definitely growing on me, at first i thought it just didn't sound like your typical 8, but every time i teach it i like it a little more.

I'm quite anti anything Nathan and Gabi.  As someone said, the way they speak over each other all the time is so annoying.  Some good music though, i will give them that much. Their whole thing just seems really weak and unprofessional to me compared to Dan & Rach.  You guys rock and are doing an awesome job at developing the program....

I loved 30 and 31, 32 slightly less as i said only because Rach seems a little flat and to not be into as much herself, and I SERIOUSLY CAN'T WAIT FOR 33 OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED BRING ON AUGUST!!!

Cheers all.  And remember, we do it because we love it, yeah?  Let's just keep having fun and sharing our passion with all those punters out there who are relying on our positivity and inspiration!

Dxxxx:

 (But i could be a little coloured from witnessing BC33 and the low wide ginga which was funky as!

I SERIOUSLY CAN'T WAIT FOR 33 OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED BRING ON AUGUST!!!

I totally agree with you there, cant wait until 33 is launched here, how wicked is that T4!!

Hey Donna!

I couldn't agree more with you and what U said in your post!! Love this release, and the ginga/ESK is becoming more and more "engraved" with participants and instructors... it looks fantastic, U do not have to jump super high if U don't want or can't, and it still looks sexy and powerful

I am not a fun of tracks 2 either, for whatever reason... but starting to really like this one... 8 is growing on me too big time... love the last 2 6 with Pink, participants really enjoy them and the "lightness" yet power of the song...

Yes, thanks to Dan and Rach for trying to please every musical taste out there, not easy at all!!

Turn it UP and UP and UP!  

Do you know what I think is the coolest thing ever? The fact that Dan and Rach actually take the time to read all of this that we're write here. It shows that they really do care! Thumbs up for them!

I just launched BC32 last week and everyone absolutely L-O-V-E-D it!
And so did I! It's a great release to teach. No problems at all with the ESK combo or the switch knee. Even the new participants loved them.

And you can all say whatever you like but I am a believer that most of it is really down to the instructor and the way we sell each track and move/combo. If you have a good rapport with your members and teach with passion and enthusiasm, most of the participants will love whatever you're selling. As some of you have altready said, we are supposed to teach for our participants - not for ourselves! This is a job. Come to think of it, it must be one of the best jobs in the world  since it sure doesn't feel like work at all does it? Nevertheless, it's a job. And the main task is to please our participants. Judging from the forum and all the diference of opinions, it's easy to see that no two people are alike or have the same taste. It's the same with participants - not everyone will like the song in T2, T3, T4... and not everyone will feel comfortable with the ESK or the switch knee or.... But our job is to try and make it as good and as fun as possible for the majority and specialy for the people who aren't that fond of some of the moves or of a given song.

 If we just do our job with passion it'll all be ok in the end.

romeo:

I totally agree with you there, cant wait until 33 is launched here, how wicked is that T4!!

 

OH MAN, FOR SURE!!! It was so cool.  I don't know if it's just cause we were there for the filming, but I loved the whole thing so much, it was just awesome.

When are you guys headed back to NZ?  We don't think we can make it for august unless a miracle occurs, but November is looking sweet at this stage...

Body Combat was launched at our gym on Saturday, we all dressed up as gangsters, the atmosphere was electric.  Everyone enjoyed BC32, i am a participant in that class, BC 32 is an excellent release, harder than the last one, even got used to the switch knee.  Everyone was very positive afterwards, can't wait for the next session

sally40:

... we all dressed up as gangsters, ...

OK, I've viewed this post with interest and feel it is time to voice my own opinion on BC32.  I have also noticed that if you don't 'toe the line' on here you are insulted by certain individuals.  This is unnacceptable.  We are all in this Body Combat game together brothers and sisters, and if you don't agree with someone's opinion, do not accuse them of not having the 'skills' or having a 'closed mind'.  This is a forum for opinion, not a children's playground.  You know who you are.

 So with that out of the way, my opinion on BC32 is that is just does not cut it.  Again, I can refer to my participants.  When we launched BC30 at our club, there was such a poor response to many of the tracks, especially the ginga/ESK Track 4.  Now please don't accuse me of not 'selling it' or not having the skills to perform it, because personally I LIKE the ESK, and it was something different which I enjoyed, but my participants struggled with it, and when I (and the other BC Instructor at my club, who is a completely different style of Instructor to me, which works really well) tried to continue with it in our classes, sometimes the response was quite aggressive.  So we both dropped it.

We didn’t launch BC31 as we’d had enough – plus the split warm-up was half good half bad (too slow) and we already knew what reaction that would get.  We have not launched BC32 as there would be a riot.  My BC classes get 40-50, which for a UK class is very good.  They are the busiest classes on our timetable, completely SLAYING the freestyle classes and also other BTS programmes.  It would do no good to watch my numbers fall by persisting with tracks they don’t like, or as some others have said on here – NEW participants struggle with.  I always like BTS as they are inclusive, but the ESK/Ginga is not.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there should be NO MORE of the ESK/Ginga.  What I would like to see is it alternating on releases, so we keep everyone happy.  At the moment it seems to be turning off the majority and this surely is not good for the continuation of what I think is the best BTS programme (although I also teach BodyPump, which is at present, wiping the floor with Body Combat in terms of recent releases, and I don’t say that easily, as I teach BC 3 times a week and BP only once a week!!).  An alternation would surely be a great way to keep all parties happy – instructors AND participants.

It’s nice that Dan and Rach read the posts on here, although Rach’s post started out diplomatic, it sunk into some kind of completely incoherent, confusing post which was no help to anyone at all, which was a shame as I was looking forward to her constructive response, especially as she is one of our ‘leaders’ who I look up to.

I came into BC at release 22, so I have only known D and R, although I have used some of the older tracks, but they are just ok to me.  Even if I haven’t liked a whole release there have always been enough great tracks to keep me happy.  But BC31 AND BC32 were so disappointing to me.  I didn’t mind BC31 being disappointing, but two in a row is a bit much.  And most disappointing on BC31 was wasting such an awesome song (‘You Give Love A Bad Name’) on the weakest of all the tracks on that release.

Just my opinion guys and gals.  Try not to shoot me down in flames, hard as that might be for one or two notables.  Like I said, we are all in this together and it’s great to have a forum where we can post our opinions.  Because that is all they are  - and it makes an interesting read. 

Nice to meet you all

Hi all

 Well this post is clear cut - there is lots to talk about as you all have equally mixed opinions, hence why it's still going.

 Apologies to those of you who could not understand my post.

 It was about choice and being given the chance to choose for yourself from a selection of things and decide what you prefer. Without that choice being taken away by someone who thinks they can and should make it for you.

So here's my constructive response. If any of you are having problems with whatever you are doing then my email is always open.

 We are all leaders that are looked up to by others.

 Quick word re MrStep 's post.....

Yes we all should be free to express our opinion without being shot down, but the fact that you are actually dropping tracks and not launching new releases I find really disturbing.  The program is progressing awesomely and you should try and embrace it with as much positivity as you must have originally had for the program at one stage.  Not all tracks appeal to all people, but what about the folks that would love the ESK  and something new and are up for a challenge and want to actually progress and improve their skills and performance? You are completely denying them the chance to do this? That's really sad, and I believe in all honesty, a little selfish of you.  Launch the new release, do it for the initial few weeks.  It's not going to kill people to do a few tracks they don't like for a few weeks.  If the MAJORITY of your punters continue to dislike it, then fine, after your initial weeks, start to mix it up - but GIVE THEM THE CHANCE to learn to love it like a lot of us out there. Nobody sticks with one release for months and months (i hope) and change is always good. Give a new release a chance to blossom and you might find that is grows on not only the participants but also yourself. If you're not into it 100% I'd say there's a fair chance your participants will pick up on that, no matter how you might try and cover it, and that's probably not helping their acceptance of the evolution of BC.

I started BC with Dan & Rach too, have only seen old releases of Nathan & Gabi.  I imagine when that was all there was, people thought it was pretty good at the time, because they didn't know any better.  Now that Dan & Rach have taken combat to such a different new level, you just can't compare the two.  And without the progression throughout the releases, we would still be down at that crappy old level, which personally I don't think I would have taken on combat with any passion if N & G were still doing it and Dan & Rach hadn't taken over. It was just stupid and crap back then (Yes, just my opinion, I know LOL)

Not getting stuck into you or trying to be nasty at all - as you said, we are all in this together and we all have the right to an opinion and an open forum to express it.  Also though, hopefully we are full of passion and enthusiasm for the program and want to do our best for our participants and ourselves, as well as the ongoing development of Bodycombat in general.

/rant

Dxxxx

Dxxxx U got the right words I could not find when I read that post... NOT LAUNCHING NEW RELEASES??? it is DISTURBING indeed... and lack of respect for the work of thousands of people (starting from Dan and Rach) that work to put together the new releases, all the instructors that work hard to learn them and get to love them even if sometimes they might not fall in love with them...

I was at first scared to death to teach ESK to my morning ladies class... but slowly they learned it and now they love it... I did it a few times in front of the mirrors with them and once they get it, even if they don't jump they love it...

Yes, GIVE THEM THE CHANCE ... but with a smile on your face, it's a lot about attitude and if U R negative they will feel it and not accept it either!!

Yes, we all have a right to say what we feel and think, but some of the guidelines and rules must be followed... that's the beauty of LM... if U are not willing to stick to the rules maybe U should teach freestyle classes where U choose what to do or not to do...

I love what D&R are doing to BC and how it's developing...

Cheers and long life to the ESK!  ...and keep the passion for the program!!

I totally agree with Dxxxx and Babi - please give them the chance - they might find that they love it!

 Oh and by the way - my side-kicks have improved drastically since doing the ESK.